Golf: Rory McIlroy wrote his name into the annals of Irish golf at sunny Clandeboye yesterday by winning the Irish Youths' Open Championship title by three shots from Welsh invader Llewellyn Matthews.
The Holywood 15-year-old carded two closing rounds of level-par 71 yesterday to become one of the youngest ever winners of the title. At lunchtime, the plus-two handicapper shared the lead with Stephen Crowe, but the Dunmurry member faded in the afternoon.
Two afternoon birdies and two bogeys was the story of McIlroy's fourth round as he played the game in a relaxed and confident manner. He didn't try anything fancy and his driving was straight and accurate.
He got off to a great start with a birdie three at the first, and was two under when he also birdied the par-four fourth.
"Just two straightforward birdies and they certainly gave me a great start," admitted the winner.
McElroy's lost shots were at the short fifth and the par-four, uphill 16th, where he chipped to a few feet but missed the putt.
With nine holes, McIlroy and Crowe were still deadlocked, but the wheels then came off for the Dunmurry player. The long 15th proved a killer for Crowe as he drove behind a tree, clipped the branches coming out and found sand. He ran up bogey six to fall three strokes behind McIlroy.
Nipping in almost unnoticed to take second spot was Matthews, who carded a four-under-par 67, the best score of the entire tournament.
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